NEW YORK, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday that the city's public schools will close starting on Monday.
"We will make a first attempt to restart our schools on Monday, April 20," de Blasio said at a press conference.
Before that day, students will not report to school buildings for instruction and "the City will move towards a new Remote Learning Model," according to the city's Department of Education.
The mayor initially was reticent to make the decision, saying that a lot of children in the city rely on public schools for daily meals.
He noted at Sunday's press conference that take-home meal services would be available at the city's public schools for the next five days.
Pressure for school closure has been mounting in recent days in New York City, where the number of COVID-19 cases has increased rapidly.
Earlier on Sunday, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Twitter that New York City "must have a plan in place in the next 24 hours for childcare for essential workers and a plan to make sure kids will continue to get the meals they need."
The school closure "is necessary to reduce density and mitigate the spread" of COVID-19, he added.
